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After recently discovering The Balm makeup products this year, I was excited to test this palette out and see what these shadows have to offer. First of all I have to say that the packaging of this palette is to die for! Nude/Neutrals palettes have been popping up all over the place and it seems that every brand now has their own version.

I had high hopes for the this palette that runs at about $36 and I was definitely not let down. Like my previous experiences with their products, these shadows were so buttery smooth and blended very easily. I like that these colors were wearable and since they were well pigmented, you could build up the color depending on if you are going to work or going out. I also enjoyed the fact that there were very shimmery colors, some satin finish, and a bunch of matte colors which are great for blending into the crease.

If you are looking for a good palette to travel with or something to add to your collection that is versatile and great quality, I would highly suggest this palette. Compared to the Naked 1 & 2 palettes, I think the colors in this product are more unique and not as glittery. You wanna look glowing, not like you just got attacked by the glitter aisle at Michaels.

I am such a sucker for new drugstore products so when I saw that Revlon came out with a new formulation I hopped right on it! I have been using it for the past 3 1/2 weeks and here are my thoughts:

*There are 12 shades and I found it hard to find one that matched my skin because in the glass jar they all tend to look the same. I purchased mine in the color “Nude” which ended up matching me perfectly.

Texture: This claims to be whipped, but the consistency was more of a thick milkshake (weird, I know). I thought this would feel very heavy on the skin, but it ended up being much more lightweight than expected.

Staying Power: The package says 24 hours but seriously, who wears foundation for that long? I only need mine to last for about 10 hours and it did just that perfectly. It didn’t settle into my pores, and the finish was not totally matte, just a tad bit dewy. I added a translucent power on top to prevent any oiliness.

Coverage: I would consider this to be a medium-full coverage foundation. It is much lighter than the original Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation, but I found it to be much easier to blend.

Application: I have used my fingers, stippling brush, or a flat top kabuki brush to blend this in and all of them worked very well. It is super easy to blend and doesn’t leave any streaking like the original colorstay. The final result is a smooth and satin finish.

Packaging: I really like that this comes in a glass jar, it makes you forget that it is made by Revlon. But it seems to be a total waste and is bulky in my makeup organizer. The glass jar is deceiving as it does look like theres a ton of product but really there is only 0.8oz. Luckily, a little product goes a long way.

Overall, I am a huge fan of this foundation. I have been neglecting all my other ones, both drug store and high end ever since I tried this one. If you are looking for a long staying medium coverage foundation that controls shine- this is your best bet. It retails for about $11-15 at any local drugstore.

What do you think of the new Revlon products? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I have to start off by saying that this is my fifth month of being a birchbox subscriber and each month I continue to be dissapointed. Sure, there have been a few products that I’ve enjoyed but nothing that I love enough to go out and purchase. I told myself that since this month was a special box I would hold off and wait to see if I like it, before I jump to conclusions and cancel my subscription. Here is what was included in my box:

1. Bright red hair tie- Its big, cheap and looks ridiculous. Not to mention its worth less than a dollar.

2. Dr. Jart + Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+- I don’t use BB creams because they don’t provide any coverage at all and are horrible for oily skin.

3. BVLGARI Perfume- I HATE PERFUME SAMPLES. I can get an entire bag of them from Nordstrom or Macy’s if I wanted to…for free.

4. Stila Waterproof Sparkle Eyeliner- This was nice because it was full size but it’s gold sparkly and crazy waterproof. To give you an idea, I swatched it on my hand and it took 2 days of washing my hands and a shower to come off. And they expect me to use this on my eyes? I’ll pass.

5. Ojon Voumizing Condtioner- Just another tiny hair sample to add to a travel bag; nothing special at all.

6. A notecard- Seriously birchbox? When am I ever going to send someone a card with something that says “XOXO” written on the front?

I hate to sit here and bash a company but I feel that so many people have been upset with their Birchboxes over the past year. Ever since they became more popular their customer service has decreased tremendously and their boxes are most of the time, a complete rip off.

If you have never heard of Julep, it’s basically a monthly subscription service similar to Birchbox. They send you 2-3 nail polishes each month along with certain tools (hand scrub, nail file, etc.) You take a style quiz when you register, which gives them an idea of whether you are girly or edgy and based on that you get a box! Unlike Birchbox, on Julep you get to see exactly what color polishes you are going to get and if you aren’t a fan, you can simply skip that month.

Ok so this isn’t exactly a haul since I’ve been trying to cut down on spending recently BUT I saw Ulta was having a sale and I just couldn’t resist. This week they have all NYX products 40% off as well as Revlon and Physicians Formula. So if you are looking to stock up on any of these brands or were interested in trying them, this is the perfect time. There is also a printable coupon online for $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more. You can find it here: http://search.ulta.com/nav/marketing/ultacoupon/0

These are the things I picked up:

1. NYX Stick Blush in Orchid: This color is beautiful! I have never really been a fan of cream or stick blushes but this is such a unique color of coral-pinkish with gold shimmer. It blends in so nicely into the skin and I can already tell it’s going to be a staple in my collection.

2. Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brulee: Do I really need more lip butters? No.. but everytime I try to find this color it is always sold out and I finally got my hands on it. It’s a really nice frosty nude color and like I mentioned in a previous post, very moisturizing.

3. NYX Megashine Lipgloss: The colors I got were in Sugarpie (frosty nude color) and Nude Peach (not a nude at all, more of a very bright pinky-peach. What I love about these glosses is that they are super pigmented and when applied over a lipstick, they last a long time. The applicator is very big which makes application easy since you dont need to dip the brush into the tube a million times. The only thing I don’t like is that they have a cherry scent; nothing unbearable but it just reminds of cherry medicine.

4. NYX Lipstick in Stella: Immediately when I saw this color I thought of MAC’s Nicki Minaj lipstick. It’s a very bright pink-coral color (Do you see a pattern here? I’m clearly obsessed with coral right now.) I don’t own that MAC lipstick but I have tried it in store and I think they are fairly similar. The quality of this lipstick actually surprised me because it’s very creamy and vibrant.

If you get a chance, stop by your nearest Ulta and check some of these products out. There is more variety online but I find it easier to go into the store and swatch colors and check out the quality of the products. Happy shopping! XoXo